ABC'S: ANIMAL BEHAVIOR

CONCERNS & SOLUTIONS

A Question & Answer Forum For Animal Professionals

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Welcome to the ABC's! Animal Behavior Concerns & Solutions is an animal behavior column written by animal behaviorist and animal trainer, Diana L. Guerrero. This section is dedicated to animal training techniques for all animals and pets, and topics related to operant conditioning and reinforcement. This page is dedicated to clarifying a question about the animal training term, "deprivation." This animal training topic appears in two parts. For pet training please visit the pet sections, see our pet behavior booklets in the shop, or click here for enrollment information for classes and teleseminars.

Understanding The Animal Training Term "Deprivation"
Part 1 of 2

QUESTION
American Zoo. Can you discuss the training term, "deprivation"?

ANSWER
Deprivation is a word that can become an emotional topic for many people. Unfortunately there is a misunderstanding in relation to using the term "deprivation" and many get into judgmental modes when it relates to the usage/non-usage of this training tool. It is a tool that has been used in captive animal management for eons. So, let's look at what the term actually means:

dep·ri·va·tion
(14th century)
to take something away; to remove from; to withhold something from

(15th century)
the state of being deprived; an act or instance of depriving

(20th century training definition)
reducing the availability of, or access to, a reinforcer

Notice that there is nothing in the definition that indicates a length of time (duration) as related to deprivation. Notice also that the definitions do not refer to a particular type of withholding or reduced access.

BACKGROUND
Animal rights, public perception and ego or judgments have influenced many of the current discussions and views related to deprivation. When an interpretation of a positive or negative value is attached to a word the opinion is often based upon that influence. How you use the term can vary, how you use the application (and the results you get) can also vary. All animals in contact with humans tend to experience some sort of deprivation. In fact even humans experience deprivation on a daily basis!

Despite the 20th century definition, the term in the training realm has unfortunately become heavily associated with food and has been assigned a negative value judgment. This stems from a variety of contributing situations including animal rights demands, public relations pressure, and the marketing of "positive reinforcement" training to the general public. The terms "positive reinforcement" and "deprivation" can be misunderstood by people (like the general public) not familiar with learning theory and applications of reinforcement.

Trainers that have invested heavily in academics, debating, defining, categorizing, and other activities often consider deprivation an ugly word. Other trainers within the field have a variety of views that stem from the difference in seeing how the industry has changed, repeated itself, and evolved. Nearly all have also used deprivation in their career in one manner or another.

Most trainers do not agree on everything but good trainers use a variety of tools in their applications and do not lean on one completely to the exclusion of the others. Deprivation is only one of many tools and can be used to influence an animal within many categories including: dietary, social, and environmental.

DISCUSSION
Deprivation is only one tool in the toolbox. The biggest problem we face as trainers, or caretakers, is being adaptable and flexible enough to use the tools of the trade with wisdom. You should be able to be creative and innovative enough to take some information in one situation and apply it to others. Help from other people can be useful but it is the application of what you have collected and learned that makes you a great trainer/caretaker.

Each animal and species is different and so each has different needs. What works for one will not always work for others. Some individuals in a species may be very social, while others might not be. They might be the same weight but not eat the same amount of food. Animals may expend the same energy or be more active or sluggish than others. They may be amiable, flighty or a variety of other things (you can fill in the blanks). They may be motivated by food, social interactions or not affected by them at all. This is why blanket discussions on this topic can be difficult.

Predictability and uniformity contribute to behavioral problems. Correcting behavior problems means using whatever tools you have. Thinking outside the box is what you have to learn how to do in order to progress as a trainer. To get out of the box let's look at some questions. These are for you to mull over and discuss.

DIETARY
If the diet is dispersed over several sessions instead of once or twice is that deprivation? If one marine mammal receives a certain quantity of fish as a daily total ration, is it deprivation if he receives 60% of that? What about if the other 40% is given at the end of the day or a diet increase is made to compensate over the next day or days? What if only 10-20% is withheld for a day or two? When it is withheld for weeks? When does a reduction begin to be called abuse? What if the animal needs veterinary treatment and is pulled off of food and water, is that? What if the animal is overweight and some items are withheld from the diet, is that? What if the animal is a carnivore and is fasted a day every week, is that? Are these all situations that you would term deprivation? If not, why not?

SOCIAL
In the social realm, depriving an animal of contact with others may be acceptable to the animal or it may be disconcerting. So, is it deprivation if the animal is being abused by others in the social group and then is removed (temporarily or permanently) from the group? What if the animal is injured and is removed from the group for veterinary procedures, is it? What if the animal is injuring others and is removed?

Let's look at an animal that is motivated through the social interactions: If it won't come into the night quarters and you separate it from the others to motivate it to come in, is that deprivation? What if he comes in each night after that experience without any more trouble? How about the reverse situation where he won't go out for the day?

ENVIRONMENTAL
Is it deprivation if you confine an animal when it is injured to prevent further injury? What if the animal is highly aggressive to keepers, trainers, or other animals and you confine it for safety, is it? Since the animal cannot have free access to the exhibit and night quarters at all times concurrently, is that?

Do you see how this topic becomes a bit complex? It might be more useful to use the terms such as captive management, dietary management, social management, and environmental management rather than deprivation. However, then we just get into more rhetoric and move away from training applications.

Join me in Part Two of Understanding Deprivation and explore this topic further.

Are you a reader with a question? Be sure to submit it--and good luck in all your training endeavors!

About the columnist: Since 1978 Diana L. Guerrero has worked professionally with both wild and domestic animals. Guerrero has been affiliated with, and certified by, a variety of animal programs in the USA and Europe. Based in California, she writes, consults, and speaks. Information on her animal career programs, training courses, and her books {What Animals Can Teach Us about Spirituality (SkyLight Paths, 2003), Blessing of the Animals (Sterling, 2007), Help! My Pet is Driving Me Crazy (Guerrero Ink, 2007), Animal Disaster Preparedness for Pet Owners & Pet Professionals (Guerrero Ink, 2007)} can be found in this web site and in the shop. Questions for Guerrero should be submitted via the blog comments or membership forum.